Christopher Miller points to an interesting survey that says 87% of Americans don't know what VoIP (Voice over IP) is. Ten percent thought it was a "low carb vodka," and another group thought it was some kind of European hybrid car.
The results actually track pretty closely to the number of people that read blogs. The estimates vary a lot, but suggest that somewhere around 10-15% of Americans read blogs, which is about the same number that are familiar with VoIP as a new way of making phone calls.
As communities struggle with broadband, local blogs written specifically to help people learn about technology can be an important way of educating people and helping to create a market for new services. It is never just a matter of getting some money and building some fiber or wireless infrastructure.